Common core principles and competences for social care and ...

Common Core Principles

and competences for social care and health workers working with adults at the end of life

1

Common core principles and competences for social care and health workers working with people at the end of life 2nd edition

Published by Skills for Care, West Gate, 6 Grace Street, Leeds LS1 2RP Skills for Care, West Gate, 6 Grace Street, Leeds LS1 2RP .uk Skills for Health, 1st Floor, Goldsmiths House, Broad Plain, Bristol BS2 0JP .uk

? Skills for Care & Skills for Health 2014

Skills for Care and Skills for Health are pleased to acknowledge the contracted work of Melissa Balman in researching and compiling this publication

Copies of this work may be made for non-commercial distribution to aid social care workforce development. Any other copying requires the permission of the publishers. Skills for Care is the employer-led strategic body for workforce development in social care for adults in England. It is part of the sector skills council, Skills for Care and Development. Skills for Health is the sector skills council for all health employers; NHS, independent and third sector.

Bibliographic reference data for Harvard-style author/date referencing system:

Short reference:

Skills for Care & Skills for Health [or SfC&SfH] 2014

Long reference:

Skills for Care & Skills for Health. (2014) Common core principles and competences for

social care and health workers working with people at the end of life (2nd edition).

.uk .uk

1

Contents

Introduction The principles Use this document Principle 1 Principle 2 Principle 3 Principle 4 Principle 5 Principle 6 Principle 7 Competences, underpinning values and knowledge

1. Competences 2. Underpinning values 3. Knowledge

Page 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12

13 17 17

2

Introduction

People nearing the end of their life often need specialist care and support that is provided by experts working in the field. Increasingly though, people working in social care and health who are not specialists in this area find themselves working with people who are dying. This document, while relevant for everyone, is aimed at those non specialist workers.1 It sets out the principles for working with adults at the end of their life, and describes the underpinning competences, knowledge and values they should have. Used alongside occupation-specific guidance, these `common core principles' form a framework to guide managers and workers, helping to define the additional knowledge and competences needed when supporting someone who is dying.

1. The majority of these workers will be from health and social care organisations, but many other people may be included, such as faith leaders, community workers, or people working in housing or education.

3

The principles

1. Care and support is planned and delivered in a person-centred way, with the person's priorities, including spiritual, emotional and cultural needs, guiding all decisions and actions.

2. Communication is straightforward, appropriate and timely, and is delivered sensitively, taking account of the circumstances, needs and abilities of the person and their carers2. Communication reflects an understanding of, and respect for, the person's cultural and spiritual needs.

3. End of life care is provided through integrated working, with practitioners collaborating to ensure seamless care and support at the point of delivery. Needs are met in ways that are appropriate to the person, rather than being service-led. Workers maintain ongoing communication so that care and support is properly co-ordinated and responsive to changing circumstances and priorities.

4. Good, clear and straightforward information is provided to the person and their carers.

5. Regular reviews and effective communication ensure that care and support is responsive to the needs and changing circumstances of people at the end of life, and their carers. Forward planning, including advance care planning, facilitates well-coordinated, planned and organised care and support.

6. The needs and rights of carers are recognised and acted upon. Carers are offered support both while caring, and during bereavement. Employers recognise the ways in which workers are affected while caring for someone who is dying, and provide appropriate guidance and support.

7. Employers provide appropriate learning and development opportunities for workers to ensure that they are properly equipped to work with people at the end of life. Workers are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning.

The competences, underpinning values and knowledge

Communication Assessment and Advance care care planning planning

Symptom management, maintaining comfort and wellbeing

Occupationspecific requirements [not described in this document]

Underpinning values and knowledge

2. `Carer' is used throughout to refer to family and friends who provide social care support, as distinct from social care, health or community workers or volunteers.

4

Using this document

In addition to guiding workforce development practitioners, this document is a framework for people engaged in managing, commissioning and delivering end of life care and support. Using it will help to equip workers, particularly those whose main role is not necessarily working with people at the end of life, to be competent and feel confident in working in this area. It can be used in a number of ways: By leaders and strategic managers as they develop new services and transform

approaches to care and support for people at the end of life. It can be used to help in thinking about new roles, as well as ensuring that learning and development requirements are incorporated into plans for transforming or developing services. As a checklist for commissioners when developing, purchasing and monitoring end of life care and support. As a checklist for people purchasing their own care and support, to help ensure that care and health workers have the skills, knowledge and values that will ensure that the care and support received is in accord with the principles. Workforce development leads can use it to ensure practitioners have the necessary knowledge, support and supervision to work confidently and competently with people at the end of life. Supervisors and managers can use it to inform supervision, checking the competences against personal development plans, and making sure supervisees are properly supported. Practitioners can use it to help them think about their continuing professional development (CPD) needs, as well as using it as a learning tool in itself.

5

The common core principles

Principle 1 Care and support is planned and delivered in a person-centred way with the person's priorities, including spiritual, emotional and cultural needs, guiding all decisions and actions.

The person is the focal point of all assessment, care planning and delivery; their wishes, beliefs and priorities are paramount in all decision making. Practice is based upon a person-centred, social model of health and disability, and is informed by the principles of respect, dignity, choice and independence. These values mean a shift from professionals knowing best to workers supporting and empowering people to be in control of their own needs and wishes, including the right to change their mind about what they want. The significance of cultural diversity, including the impact of any faith, beliefs, religion, and of lifestyle, acknowledging the person's right to make their own decisions, is recognised. The importance of spirituality and meeting people's spiritual needs 3 is understood, including the impact of diagnosis and prognosis on the person. People are encouraged and supported to make decisions based on their experience of their needs, utilizing appropriate professional support and guidance. People are supported in identifying and managing risk proportionately and realistically, and have an understanding of the notion of informed consent, best interest and advance decision to refuse treatment.

3. Spiritual needs are not defined here as they vary in nature from person to person. However, it is noted that spiritual needs are not the sole preserve of those with a religious faith or adherence, but will be important to many others, too.

6

Principle 2 Communication is straightforward, appropriate and timely and is delivered sensitively, taking account of the circumstances, needs and abilities of the person and their carers. Communication reflects an understanding of, and respect for, the person's cultural and spiritual needs.

Communication is appropriate to the circumstances and needs of the person, recognising the range of factors, such as dementia, learning disability, illness or emotional state, which have an impact on communication. Workers are knowledgeable about how religious or cultural customs and beliefs, or their absence, may impact upon ways of communicating. Listening skills are used to recognise cues from people and their carers, and open questions are used to them all to express themselves freely if they wish to. Workers recognise the changing ability and desires of the person, their family and friends to communicate, and adapt their own communication style accordingly. Where children and young people are among the family and friends, workers are aware of the significance of child development to communication and to ways of coping with loss and bereavement. Communication and relationship skills are used to enable, encourage and support people to express their preferences, concerns and needs alongside their strengths and abilities. Good communication is used to ensure that end of life care plans, including advance care plans (ACPs), are clearly understood and shared by everyone involved in their planning and delivery, including the person and their carers.

7

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download